


not the same

by alinaandalion



Category: Leverage
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-06
Updated: 2012-12-06
Packaged: 2017-11-20 11:39:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/585015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alinaandalion/pseuds/alinaandalion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nate and Eliot discuss Parker and the events of "The Long Way Down Job"</p>
            </blockquote>





	not the same

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Valawenel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valawenel/gifts).



When Eliot sits down across the table from Nate, Nate glances up from his book but stays quiet, only moving to push the bottle of whiskey in Eliot's direction. As Eliot sighs heavily and palms the bottle, Nate flicks his eyes back to his book and groans inwardly at the interruption of the first time he's had to himself since he called the team back together for the mountain job.

Nate waits for a moment, and when Eliot doesn't move, he says, "Is something bothering you, Eliot?"

Startled, Eliot looks up, eyes a little wider than normal, and shrugs. "Nothing worth talking about."

"Are you sure about that? You've been...more serious than normal the past couple of days."

Eliot narrows his eyes and glares at the bottle of whiskey. His left hand curls into a fist, flexes, and Nate looks around to make sure there aren't any innocent bystanders still in the bar in case the situation degenerates. He's learned the hard way that his team likes to do the unexpected and crazy thing at the time when it's the most inconvenient. Eliot breathes out slowly, though, and relaxes back into his chair.

Nate keeps a wary eye on him, though, because he can see the tension vibrating in Eliot's body despite the outward appearance of calm.

"It's Parker," Eliot bites out finally.

Raising an eyebrow, Nate says quietly, "What do you mean?"

Eliot just shakes his head and shifts in his chair. Nate thinks back on the events of the past week, the job, and it clicks into place.

"Eliot, what happened up on that mountain?"

To his credit, Eliot doesn't look surprised that Nate has figured out at least half of the puzzle; still, Eliot doesn't look eager to start talking, so Nate pulls the bottle across the table and pours three fingers of whiskey into his glass. He drinks it slowly.

"It was--it was the body. Parker, she wanted to bring it down the mountain."

"I don't understand."

"She said she wanted to do the right thing. And we couldn't."

Nate fills his glass and carefully avoids looking at Eliot. "You brought his last message back to his wife."

"I know." 

Leaning back, Nate tucks his tongue inside his cheek and considers pouring himself some more whiskey. Eliot hangs his head just enough for his hair to fall into his face.

"She's not going to turn out like you, Eliot. This isn't the same."

"It could be. Eventually," Eliot replies hoarsely.

"If it comes down to it--" Nate pauses and gives Eliot a hard look. "It's not the same because she has you. She has all of us."

Then Nate opens his book again and picks up where he left off, watching Eliot out of the corner of his eye. It takes a couple of minutes, but Eliot slowly relaxes, the lines around his eyes softening. The front door of the bar opens, and Parker and Hardison come in; the second Parker sees Eliot, she bounces over.

"We're going to make cookies," she announces, a steely glint in her eyes as she stares down at Eliot, hands on her hips.

"You almost burned the building down last time," Eliot growls.

She pokes him. "That's why you're going to help."

Parker drags Eliot out of his chair and over to Hardison, and the trio disappears, Eliot and Hardison arguing about the dangers of giving Parker too much sugar while Parker talks over them, describing some recipe Nate is sure Eliot will have to talk her out of later. 

Alone again, Nate considers the bottle in front of him then sighs and finds his place in his book.


End file.
